BCS at-large pool could expand

The Bowl Championship Series will expand the pool of teams eligible for at-large bids if it’s faced with a shortage of qualified contenders when the season is over.

BCS rules state a team must have at least nine victories and finish in the top 14 of the final standings to qualify for an at-large bid to one of the five marquee bowl games. But because no conference can have more than two teams, including its champion, in the BCS, officials were facing the possibility of not having enough eligible teams to fill the 10 spots.

The BCS announced Tuesday that if fewer than 10 of the top 14 teams in the standings are eligible for an at-large bid, the qualifying standard will extend to the top 18. If enough teams are still not available, the standard would be pushed back four spots until the pool is big enough to fill all the bowls.

Oregon State running back Yvenson Bernard had surgery on his right knee and his collegiate career is probably over. . . . A van driven by former Alabama standout Siran Stacy was struck by a pickup in Dothan, Ala., and six people were killed, including Stacy’s wife and four of his children. . . . Purdue receiver Selwyn Lymon was dismissed from the team after being charged with drunk driving. . . . Troy (8-3, 6-0 Sun Belt Conference) rolled to a 45-7 victory over Middle Tennessee (5-6, 4-2) at Troy, Ala.